Epic Wild(flower) Week July 30 - August 5

With our deep snows this winter and a long, wet spring, I suspected that this could be an epic year for wildflowers in the northern part of Colorado. Early inspection trips to Dry Lake Campground and the Stillwater Reservoir area confirmed this. So, when an opportunity came to camp with friends Dean Vogelaar and Jeff Groth last weekend for hiking and horseback riding at Trapper’s Lake, it was an ideal time to start a week of exploring our region to photograph wildflowers. After the weekend, I hooked up with South Carolina photographer Bill Robertson to guide him and friend Charlie Gentry to some of my favorite places here in the northwest corner of Colorado. Places like Coffee Pot Road, Dry Lake, Stillwater, Vaughn Lake, Dunkley Pass, Ripple Creek Pass, Trapper’s Lake, and Dumont Lake more than lived up to my expectations. Following is an illustrated travelogue of what I found.